A Vested Interest

This is me, far more dressed up for work on Friday than was necessary, but it was *really* fun to wear this.  As you can see, I had on a grey men's suit vest (Goodwill, $15), a grey-and-white striped shirt (Nordstrom Rack, $30), a green paisley tie (Ross, $20), and--in addition to the black watch that I mentioned in a previous post--a matching leather wrap from Urban Outfitters.



 




 
With this outfit, I didn't wear suit pants.  Instead, to convey an "I'm-dressing-up-whimsically" tone, I wore grey cords and green Converse high tops.  So fun.  I love men's suit vests, and although I only own one, I plan to use the summer weddings I'm attending to excuse the purchase of a couple others.  (For the weddings, of course, I'll make sure that the suit vest and patnts match.)  Never sported a suit vest and want to give it a try?  Here are ten fashion tips for happy vesting:

1. If you're wearing the suit vest casually, as I was on Friday, don't tuck in your shirt.  Yeah, it'll extend past your vest; that's part of the look.
2. If you're going for anything beyond a casual look, tuck in your shirt.
3. Leave the bottom button of your vest unbuttoned.
4. Don't worry about wearing a jacket with it.  You can if you want, but especially in the summer, and especially if you present as female, you can easily get away with going jacketless.
5. Do something fun with colors.  Whether it's a casual or formal occasion, add at least two matching splashes of color.  For example, I threw in the leather wrap and green Converse to match my tie.  If I had just worn a green paisley tie but everything else was grey or black, the tie wouldn't "pop" as much, and might even look kind of random.
6. Make sure the suit vest is big enough to accommodate breasts, hips, etc.
7. The vest doesn't have to be a neutral color, though they're more versatile.
8. If your vest has a pattern, your tie should probably not have one.
9. If you're going for "dapper," try a four-in-hand knot, generously loosened.  You might even consider adding a driver's cap.
10. Even if you usually wear a T-shirt under your dress shirts (as I do), you might consider going without it for this look, to prevent the vest from creating a bulky appearance.

I'd love it if YOU would send me the pictures of you or your friends sporting suit vests, and I'll post them on the blog!  What's your favorite suit vest look?

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